Manufacture of prepared roofings



July 26, 1927.

J. E. MILLER MANUFCTURE CF PREPARED ROOFINGS Filed March 23. 1926 INVENTOR .fOH/v E. M/LLER 12; BYZ I A ORNEYS iiaeuted `Fuly 26, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN E. M'ILLEB, OF HARSETLLES, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO CERTAIN-'FEED PRODUCTS CORPORATION. OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF MARYLAND.

MANUFACTURE OF PREPARED ROOFINGS.

Application led March 23, 1926.

'i iu-l invention rch-.tes u the. impregnation saturation of fclt or papcr. such as 1s usi-fi in thc manufacture of prt-pared roofings and similar matcrials. with asphalt or other tarry or bituminous compound, and has for its general object to improve both the process and the apparatus for effecting such impregnation or saturation.

The durability or life of prepared roofings is dependent to a large extent upon the amount of saturation carried in the felt; that is, the proportion by Weight of saturation to the weight of the felt` and it is therefore important. in the manufacture of the. better grades of prepared roofings and similar materials. to obtain as high a percentage as possible of saturationl This is usually rione by making as many successive applications of the asphalt or other tarry' or bituminous compound iu fluid condition as are necessani to obtain the percentage of saturation desired, these applications, in the case of the very best grades of material, usually stopping only when it has been determined that the felt or other vehicle for carrying the saturation will carry no more.

Various factors, besides the mere application of saturating material to the felt` enter into the problem of obtaining the maxinium saturation` and the interference of these various factors with the saturating process also affects, to a considerable extent. the quality of the ultimate product. One of the difficulties most commonly encountered in thel saturation of feltv by the usual process of immersing it. in the saturating bath is that. unless the felt has been thoroughly7 dried and heated before immersion. it usually contains a considerable amount of moisture. and also air and possibly other gases. and that, therefore, the simultaneous application of saturating material to both faces of the felt frequently imprisons a portion of these gases and also of the moisture which does not escape in the form of oubbles in the saturating operation. lVhen such roofing material is exposed on the roof to the suns rays, the expansion of the moisture and other occluded gases frequently proceeds to the extent of breaking out through the surface of the asphalt or other saturant. thus leaving so-called pook marks in the roofing. These not only make it unsightly', particularly when the roofing is in the fonn of shingles on the better Serial No. 96,681.

grades of buildings, but eruption of the rather-resisting surface affects materially the durability of the roofing, since it exposes the interior of the roofing to the direct action of the Weather.

Of the various schemes heretofore devised for increasing the percentage of saturation in the felts employed to carry the various roofing materials such as asphalts, tarry and bituminous compounds, the majority slow up the saturating operation by increasing the number of saturating steps and, in addition, require a considerable enlargement both of the saturating machines themselves and of the spaces in which they are located. More- 'IO over` most of the attempts to increase tho saturation, while possibly effecting this to some, extent. usually fail to overcome the other difiiculties hereinabove referred to which stand in the way of obtaining uni- 15 formity of the resultant structure and absence of occluded moisture and gases in the finished product.

Thepresent invention aims particularly both to increase the speed of saturation. to 8)A eliminate the defects in the final product resulting from processes heretofore employed, and. by the increase of speed and other modifications in the apparatus and process, also to reduce the amount of space re uired for equipment for a given capacity o product-ion.

Not only does the invention aim to increase the speed of saturation and improve the quality of the final product so far as I0 freedom from occluded gases and vapors is concerned. but. the invention aims also to increase the percentage of saturation in the final product.

In the manufacture of prepared roofing, 05 the fundamental purpose of the roofing felt is to act as a vehicle or carrier for the asphalt or other tarry or bituminous material with which it is to be saturated, the felt having, of course, in addition to this fundamental purpose, an incidental reinforcing action. In order to subserve itsv primary purpose most effectively, the falt'must, of course,

e porous, soft and dry. These qualities are determined to a large extent by the charac- 106 ter of the rags employed in making the felt, but the cost of rags of` di'erent qualities determines, to a large extent, the quality of ragsused andtherefore the absorbent qualities of the resultant felt. Booting folta, 110

felt," thus leaving smllnnsziturated'- pockets which, frequently bluish. the. felt is placed 0.1.1 iQQ'f; find. make. the' 'S0-Called "p ock n'1 si rks but 'the ti` c t ion olthe-hot satt.-v urting 'Solution in" driving. 'out'. .a portion.- Q'f the. 'meiste-ir. eind' the. eases.. Causes.. aeinen ine. in the .tiiks'thfat not'v only' is .Objectionqilijwitself but `''lfso interferes `vvirith. the

rapidity of l s'atu,rz i tj, in.g operation and, to- Someiexlteiit with'fhe'filn0-ui1t of. the. s atiiraa tion finally chtei.ncdf@ Attempts. t remedy this 'by applying Saturation, to one side only have been' defective'in that bv non e of these methods its. ii been pssite 'to obtain maximumof saturation. l

One of the objects of Vthe present inventionis so as to apply .the saturnting materiel as toprevent' anyocclusion of gus or moisture while at thesame vtiine melrin'g possible the operetti en o f the time. fuctor so essentiel to obtaining maximumsaturation. To this end the invention sims vc o utilize4 the -heat of the. s'nltiiretinsmatriel and'. 'the Capillary 11ttrnction' of the' eltnfonsziid material 'while nj its l 1o t. fluid state' to drive any moist-ure and gases contained Within tlicjtclt out o f 'flt Oliv ille .side remotef'romfthnt t0 which; the saturnnt is-. applied-gto.provide a.

' s ufiicient. time. factor for gthis heating and capillsry notion', b u t pieferubly notjso great i1- time fztctoijnsto permit' substantiel setting of thesntu'reting materialto v repeat this op` eration; 'if ncssry, vmm1v air. 'and meisture l 4have been vo o m'pl'c-itcly driyen from tliesheet and'then preferably to immerse't-he sheetto effect Aapplication of. the saturalnt to both faces thereof, thus insuring lboth a maximum saturation and n.A lmore uniform surface 'in'j the. resultant product. g

fOther objects "important features of the inventionwill appear-from the .following description sind claims when considered -inconnection with the -nccoinp si'nying drawing whichV ill-u stratesthel novel zipparutus' for practicing. they fr ocess, 'Which- 'xi-'ppzn'titus-A is also s palrt of t c 'presentinirentin-- The Jssturzitioii. of Vrok'iling*"el'tund the menu facture-oii-.the vfelt must, for practical reasons, :beg '-se'p'ziijaite' operations 'since 'the speed o fj'tlie feltfninuiectiiring machine isl essentially .less "than that' 'Ofii'he 'Saturat- 'ing machine. Moreover, even if it were uniting machine.

vhas Y been found-j desiriibletio -juse two of the 'spouts 2251 each located fabout- 61 inches. from I practicebleto. run the felt directly from the elt machine into the saturating'mach-ine, it wouldV not be good manufacturing practice Since. a. breakdown 0f. .Griswold ntefieie with vthe -o1; eri 1 tion o f the The mimutacture of -felt for'rooting is therefore a separate operationfand frequently the felt wound up -in'rolls 'is stored for a considerlble tinie'fbeforefbeing brought to the sat- At the time it isrst manufactured', the

felt is'substntially bone dry, but when stored for any length o-time it absorbs more or less moisture-the moisturefcontent of felt that lias'been stored for "o, considerable the air that if-course fills the intersticesof the' felt thn'ti .iS .the purpose fof] the. present invention completely"- to inalprodilct.; The accompanying' figure discloses an apl pera-tus'forpracticingthemethod.

a, paratus'lfor practicing-the novel. process 'of eliminate from* theff te presentin'vention,the. roll of felt .-10

to be' saturatedis shown aser-ranged at 'one end of' the snturating-'machine and as it is unwolind 1tp ztssesoyern..guide rolly12, then `down around' :ir-drum .1.4, preferably heated,` then up over a lfbop'erigtl 16, which .may or may'nt be heeted,as hereinafter set 'forth.

Ithex'i preferably xdoiirn over fa second drum 18, similar to; the` diui'n" l 4"'andip'referab1y also heated', againup' over vva. second looper` roll 2 0, etc.' In-"thef illustrative.. embodiment off.

will 'be understood, 'ns hereinafter f'l'iouited out, the'tthe invention is 'not restricted 'toithe particular number o fdrums H3 und 18h01' to' the parti culgtr number ot. 'loopci "rolls 1 6 Y sind 2 0 vherein strated and'v thztt with some vfelts andj under?- sorneconditions 4 of operation str idfto obtitinfmaxii'num speeclzof saturation' 1t may be-aidvisableto increase the number.

Infact, infprztctie'ul"'operationsof: the iresent inventionrithusbeen found that-us;- iigh :is 4eight drums and a'corres'pond'in'g.- number of'looper. rolls are sometlmes desirable;

liquidsphalt, isv app-lied tog one face of' 'the sheet, the' illustrated v'iifi'eans for applying the 'sturatingniaterizil being. a* spoutQQf icon-1 or bya pump V(mfothersuitable.means.' Vlnth e pm cticet 'o'peration ofl the invention,"

an redge of a 36W sheet, sothatthefspo'uts are about feet .apert, :th tls- 'obtu-in-ingfmore uniornr distribution'- offthe saturatingl ma- .'terial'over the sheet. Asshowmthese s pouts it -f tribute the saturat-ingfinziterfiall 'sheet the -asplilt or other Satin-ant. tlioionghly 4'to In the illustrative-'embodiment'of 'the inven- 'not shown) Y scibedf, assliofwn inthe' -vivllns'trative-embodi-A ment" ofthe invention, the iist'`z i-pplication .will ordinarily be -coifnpletk-:ly ablbed bythe -felt before reaching-the' po'i'nto the-Second' application, "and" none of= "the aspha-lt or ing application' tilresfplacel{ i of saturat have fbeeii m'a'de' to'thezfone; sijde of the sheet-of felt .to thoroughly drive the". I air andl moistnreoutof tbe1otlier-`side Wbieh 'as 'been applied inA this manner :is

ossible,A

'11'11"' the illustrativfeqembodiment-fof A.the

forV

or incre looping ra'cks() before. winding it winding' pressnije und thiigprevntg-jbleeding i 1-As "bove sliggestedgtheiteinpeviitire nf the `asphalt 'applied is preferably in the 4neighborhood f 4209,- thefpifeferable limits being between 350 'and 450. F and preferablyV other' saturant will ppernpon the surface.vr Where, however; iu-niubb-"burgermnnber.-ciffz the' tinperaitur is the 'sine for each of the .successive application@ althoug'hof course it is Anot es'sentiahthat'thefsucessive np- 1 f.spontanewiii-bguqei-scoodthat@ip may be' by meme; 1-f n relier winch takes it. up mm n trunk elf.. :i El' theA imiwoved Flexees. and up emma hemmamre c egmibe k l' have mec edA not only in l-xmcucingu haal mduct.' yrhich is substantmlly five 'from om: lifted. mn'ssme or gna but have Laien Edwcfdfs. in ncremg I0 lhusintufgtm ftm IE 1411 (Wer the results ublnilmd lly Uu: uxlll millfrf Ml have dune thi; 'm n oansdm'nhly reduced muck 'wildlu considerabie mmm of epee It will further he nulefltlmi among the acvantfngea obtained. by the hull plde of he preaen .invenlian im: the elimmflln oi-lle neczsltjf ci pm'henling [the elt: when. --tims been in storage anclhns accumulated 2B .mnsiderlble-.- moisture.; he Ptkahty 0f using,-

aapexmw .iene without mate rinnipalowin up :the antumingfoperam; A #he ab'eantja'lly cumpiete.elimination ni lzmltllng-v in themturnt-frlg tl'mlt; the elimi- 25 nation of blstels :md [luck marks l the resultant pmducil.; :mclnczmuscd pced f operation with ceneequent 'mfluffiien in ihn: hotel-equipment. necessary for u given ma pam 30 Wet iaclxlmcd as new L5:

l. The promets of mturnting felt. for Uhh lnxn'uamtumV of maling' maeiriul und the like, which, mnssts in npplyng fx om we orlli` nf the feltfluceuiiurnnt bellied to tempamtl'mc sueient-y high rapidly In Vl' poum am' musllulc in 1hr felt um] w ptr- -mit rupiy ahaerptiuu bythe felt, @Frying the feit n sulcentl diste-Me 'krklgh the fdl tm lmmt 'the snturnb.. vy .Stil liv-Ling and "f1 penetrating action, te drive LJlm-'nmwtnre tml mui nr montent nf the. felt from the other (am thenen, re nati the forming @pcm- Linrgs while umpnmnlate] pvecedmg aypeeim; is stili hotnand au tantmlly fiend um'f ambetant-ally all ai? and moisture have been rhvellfmm the.'felt. und than. applying saturnnt to the other fxceoffzhefet.

8. The process nf aatnralng felt' fm' the manutan-ture of mong matmlu und tlm like1 which consista in applying to one fsm only at the felt iieidrsiturant headed te ,l

mangio temperature are'enhly high teply to vapqme en moistnre in the felt md io mitmiii ahsefptqn by he isl,,1-jing lihsfelt-a sueient distance lhoegh Srerer to permit ttm saturnin, by isheetj; m [rituel-i1 L'rug actiim. to (l1-'we the meiml-mrxend lr irme 1c other fam of the {ultand then Inuneafsmg snif] felt in a bath of the same sainnmt',

4.. The process o! annealing fait for the manufacture of roong materiali and the Eike, which consists 'm np lying but Huid @aimant to due ,face lulnllfl o? tilleffiali,` cern'- mg the felt a auiic-ent 'staqics thm fille nir to {paf-mit subseania'allg.' complete e tion o this first ap illumina,` und then mag: 'mg succeeng apli'acom 0f Elle ,Bahamut l0 the same face of the. feit and after euch l application, farming the. elt a sunent diefem of the. pfeil., and 'then 'eramglfthe The lernen-sgg ni sltivimtng ffetA for' the mamlirwture df raming materiel and the illu; which musing vin applying Huid salturnrm mmc-ed la a tempermnure higher than the u mz'mg point of waterymone [am only MJ the felt;j the felz asuf'- jnut. dmn thrmgh the nir mV mmt thc summnt tn 'heenme eultanllrili mm1 p-lelely nbmrbexi `and tg pemsii.I mfr and qnoista'zm in Ehe felt 0 be driven out. byl the -fu omc incr: nelly nf the fem' carrj'ng the full. u auienb digsmnre `WJ-numggh die nir tu pwmt ahem-p60 ofthesatmentb} t'he feit and herhcubing amil/'drivingr uut 0E um] mosblrm imm ilmuler face of A(he irblj and thu-m, while (he. snlualrlt thxssn pllbf ia bill lult and' in .substantially fluid cmljtioel, alplying saturuntto Elie other fune o the fait.

7. A preuves Mmrding to claim G in which the suturnnt is applied to one face wily' on tile felt. wdjxmclznt trJ- a heated roll 'whmh helps to drstrbulevit aver that. time 12.1? of the 'ik-It` 8:11 [11mm atmrcing tu claim- -E in which sun-amre u-rplicnons of the mtumms are made to t e same 'fece of the felt*I I at pointe eo sped as to permit subltmtixliy MG l complete absorption between the successive applications, with the concomitant driving out of the moisture and air from the other face of the felt, followed by successive immersions of the felt after the moisture and air have been driven therefrom by the preliminary saturation from one face thereof.

9. The process of saturating felt for the manufacture of roofing material and the like, which consists in applying to one face only of the felt saturant heated to a temperature at which it will quickly vaporize any moisture with which it comes in contact and at which it is sufficiently fluid rapidly to penetrate the felt, passing the felt substantially vertically through the air a sufficient distance to permit substantially complete absorption of the saturant and the driving out of the moisture from the other side of the felt, repeating the foregoing operations while the respective preceding applications are still hot and fluid until all air and moisture are substantially elimi nated from the felt, and then applying saturant to both faces of the felt.

10. The process of satin-ating felt for the manufacture of roofing material and the like, which consists in passing the felt about a heated drum, applying hot fluid saturant only to the face of said felt adjacent to said drum, passing the sheet in a substantially vertical loop through the air a suflicient distance to permit substantially` complete absorption of the saturant and the driving ont of the moisture and air from the other face of said sheet, repeating these operations until the saturant has penetrated substantially to the opposite face of the sheet and then applying saturant to both faces of the sheet.

11. A method of saturating felt for the manufacture of roofing material, which comprises applying hot asphaltic material to one face only of the felt to be treated,

whereby moisture and gases contained therein will be expelled from the other face thereof, and thereafter, when substantially all the moisture has been expelled from the felt material and while the felt is still hot, iminersing the .said felt in a body of hot asphaltic material, so as completely to saturate the said felt.

1.2. A method of saturating felt for the manufacture of asphalt roofing, which coniprises passing a sheet of felt through a predetermined path, applying hot asphaltic material to one face only of the said sheet at a predetermined point or points in the said path, whereby moisture and gases coutained in the felt will be expelled from the. other face thereof during the passage of said sheet through the said path .until substantially all the moisture has been expelled from the felt, and thereafter, while the said felt and its asphaltic contents are still hot` passing the said sheet into a bath of hot asphaltie material so that it may absorb asphaltic material from both faces.

13. A method of saturating felt to be employed for roofing material, which comprises continuously applying hot fluid asphaltie material to one face only of a long strip of the felt to be treated, said strip being moved continuously by the point of application, permitting penetration of the hot asphaltie material into the said felt to expel moisture and gases in the felt from the other face thereof by passing the said strip a sufficient distance through the air so that Substantially all of the moisture is expelled from said felt, and thereafter, while the felt and its asphaltic content are still hot, bringing hot asphaltic material into contact with the other face of the felt.

SLi/Ig'ned at Marseilles, Ill., this 19th day of arch, 1926.

JOHN E. MILLER. 

